MSME sector is the most vibrant and dynamic sector promising high growth potential for the Indian economy.

NEW DELHI: SIDBI in association with TransUnion CIBIL launched "MSME Pulse", a quarterly report on MSME credit activity, for closely tracking and monitoring the MSME segment in the country. The report is based on a study done on over five million active MSMEs who have access to formal credit, with live credit facilities in the Indian banking system.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector is the most vibrant and dynamic sector promising high growth potential for the Indian economy. There are close to 51 million MSME units in the country that employ about 117 million people across various sectors, constituting 40% of the workforce. The MSME share to the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is about 37% and they also contribute to 43% of exports based on the data maintained by Ministry of Commerce. In view of the critical nature of this segment, careful monitoring of the health of MSME portfolios regularly and frequently is vital for tracking the efficacy of policy, banking and business decisions while ensuring timely intervention for controlling potential losses.

The key findings of the study reveal that while the overall NPA rate remained range bound from 8% to 11% in the MSME segment during the last 2 years, the NPA rate of large corporates has increased significantly from 7.9% to 16.9% during the same period. Further, there has been a significant increase in the new borrowers entering the formal credit sector which has accelerated from ~2.7 lakhs for the six-month period of Jan to Jun 2016 to ~4 lakhs in Jul to Dec 2017, indicating fresh investments being made. The report, while giving an insight on the prominent MSME sectors for the lending institutions from a risk and profitability perspective, also presents the effects of dual economic disruptions of demonetisation and GST along with the impact of relief measures announced by RBI for MSMEs registered under GST.

Speaking at the launch, N S Vishwanathan, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India said, "Comprehensible information is the need of the hour. The MSME sector accounts for 31% of the GDP, providing employment to over 111 million people. Bringing every element of this sector to the formal fold, as such, is imperative. This is where well-analysed data plays an important and significant role. The MSME Pulse report will help in providing fresh insights about the sector. The joint effort by SIDBI and TransUnion CIBIL is commendable and will bring the MSME sector into the formal fold in a big way."

Mohammad Mustafa, Chairman and Managing Director, SIDBI in his address said "Information is key to decision making and if it is available at the right time, meaningful engagements and interventions can be made. SIDBI firmly believes that economic tools are very meaningful and offer independent outside assessment hence crucial for supporting policy decisions. With the launch of MSME Pulse, SIDBI and TransUnion CIBIL aim to provide the credit industry with trends and insights for making information oriented business decisions." While highlighting the present state of formal lending to this segment, he further added that "The MSME sector remains significantly under-penetrated on the organised lending front. Out of the 51 Million MSME units, only 5 Million units have access to formal credit. Digital push coupled with GST implementation will push the MSMEs towards higher formalization and hence credit coverage."

Satish Pillai, Managing Director and CEO, TransUnion CIBIL emphasised that "MSME segment, if targeted and serviced appropriately, can grow to have substantial share of Indian bank's commercial balance sheets and profits in the next 3-4 years. A triumvirate of stable risk, high growth and credit spreads along with progressive regulatory support will prove catalyst for sustainable growth. This study will help provide deeper understanding of qualitative and quantitative aspects of MSME lending, across various sub-segments and categories of lenders."

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